Service Learning

The art and craft of teaching is one that is best learned by doing. We support a wide variety of opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience.

Duke Service-Learning

What is service-learning?

Service-learning is a teaching and learning approach that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.

Service-learning in Education Courses

Service-learning is integrated into many Education courses. Students who complete the Education Minor or the Elementary or Secondary Teacher Preparation Programs will have many opportunities to learn with and from the community.

Partners For Success (PFS) coordinates service-learning field experiences for many core courses within the Program in Education:

Student U

Student U welcomed its first class of 50 students and 16 teachers in summer of 2007, as the result of a collaboration between Durham Public Schools, Durham Academy, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina Central University, and Duke University. Student U is a college-access organization that believes all students in Durham have the ability to succeed. In order to make this dream a reality, Student U creates a pipeline of services to support students through middle school, high school and college. By providing direct services during out of school time in the summer and after-school, and advocating for students and families within schools, Student U works to ensure that students develop the academic skills and personal well-being needed to beat the statistics and succeed in college. Duke students often apply to work at Student U because of the unique opportunity it provides to inspire and energize Durham Public School students. If you are interested in teaching middle or high school students over the summer, check out the Student U website for more information.

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Undergraduate Alumni

"The most important tool I took from Duke’s teaching program was learning the value of being a reflective educator. Seriously reflecting about teaching and learning was not only integral to... Read more about this alum »

"I am currently teaching high school history at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown, Delaware. This is only the 4th year St. Georges has been open and this year marks their first... Read more about this alum »

"I am an upper grade staff developer at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. As a staff developer, I work in schools in New York City, the New York area and around the country,... Read more about this alum »

"I currently teach at an International Baccalaureate school in Singapore. The I.B. Primary Years Program has a holistic and child-centered philosophy, and the school in which I teach allows me the... Read more about this alum »

"I am currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Education Policy at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. Due to my involvement in the Duke University Program in Education, I am... Read more about this alum »

"I spent the past four years teaching in DPS and was honored as my school’s Teacher of the Year in 2009. I credit the Program in Education for molding me into a reflective teacher who sets high-... Read more about this alum »

"I am an associate at the law firm of Bose McKinney & Evans in the firm’s education law and labor & employment groups. My current position allows me to work directly with classroom teachers... Read more about this alum »

"I serve as the Development Manager for Teach For America’s Eastern North Carolina site. I work closely with our executive director to design strategy for meeting our funding goals, accessing new... Read more about this alum »

"Teaching at Roma High School in Roma, Texas (on Texas/Mexico border) would be considered challenging by many, for the simple fact that nearly all of the students here are considered at-risk, but... Read more about this alum »